Welcome to NY. Now get out

UFCW Local 1500, which represents supermarket workers, is planning a campaign targeting Mrs. Green's Natural Market, which is set to open its first New York City location in the West Village. The union and company are embroiled in a dispute in Westchester County.

As an all-natural grocer prepares to open its first city location in the West Village, an influential labor union is planning on making its debut a rough one.

The union, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500, objects to the fact that Mrs. Green's Natural Market's 18 stores in the tri­state area are not unionized. It also points to recent National Labor Relations Board charges that the company unlawfully fired eight workers in Westchester for trying to unionize.

UFCW Local 1500 is planning a picket line, protests and other actions at the West Village shop upon its opening, according to a union spokesman. The store specializes in 100% organic produce, and would be competing with grocers employing UFCW workers, including two D'Agostinos in the immediate vicinity. Mrs. Green's store opening has reportedly been planned for June, and the company has also been eyeing more locations in New York City.

article continues below advertisement

Mrs. Green's signed a 20-year lease for the location at 585 Hudson St. last September. But UFCW ­Local 1500 is hoping that allegations that the company is anti-worker will resonate with a politically progressive clientele and help drive unionization efforts.

"New York City communities, especially the West Village, aren't just progressive foodies, they're progressive communities," said union President Bruce Both in a statement. "They will not stand for a company that abolishes rights for its workers, and will demand more than natural, local products from company that has a track record of violating their workers' rights."

In a statement, a spokesman for Mrs. Green's said the grocer had a long record of treating workers well.

"Mrs. Green's Natural Market is proud of its workers and continues to invest in them—employing more full-time workers than its competitors, giving bonuses and discounts to hourly employees, and creating profit-sharing and promotion opportunities for our employees," the spokesman said. "We provide our workers with a path to the middle class, helping them build a better future for their families in the West Village and across the region."

The union campaign recalls other efforts to prevent nonunion retailers such as Wal-Mart from penetrating the New York City market. While Wal-Mart has been shut out, others, such as Target, have opened numerous locations here with relatively little hubbub.

UFCW Local 1500 is highlighting a labor dispute simmering at Mrs. Green's location in Mount Kisco. In May 2013, the union lost a close election to organize the store and filed a complaint with the NLRB claiming Mrs. Green's had violated worker rights in fighting the effort. That resulted in a settlement agreement prohibiting anti-union activities by the company, but this past January, Mrs. Green's fired eight employees who were allegedly seeking to unionize. Some had met with local politicians about their campaign.

In mid-May, an NLRB regional director charged Mrs. Green's with unlawfully terminating the eight employees—and overturned the settlement agreement. The case is set for an NLRB trial July 14.

The CEO of Mrs. Green's parent company, Natural Markets Food Group, was ousted late last week after just 18 months on the job. The spokesman for Mrs. Green's said the grocer had plans for accelerated growth over the next 24 months and was entering new markets in Chicago and the mid-Atlantic.